The sky changed again.
Arjun felt it before he saw it.
A pressure.
Heavy.
Like the air itself had become thicker.
He stepped out into the open street, plasma rifle still warm in his hands.
The city was no longer just chaotic.
It was collapsing.
Smoke rose from multiple directions.
Buildings were burning.
Distant explosions echoed continuously.
And above it all—
The alien warship moved.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
Arjun narrowed his eyes.
"It wasn't moving before…"
The drone responded instantly.
[Anomaly Detected]
Primary Warship entering Active Deployment Phase
Arjun frowned.
"Active… what does that mean?"
The system answered.
[Phase Shift Initiated]
The sky cracked wider.
This time, it wasn't just small fractures.
A massive tear opened across the atmosphere.
Something began descending through it.
Something far larger than the warship.
Arjun's breath slowed.
"…That's not normal."
The drone's scanning beam intensified.
[Warning]
High-Density Energy Signature Detected
Threat Level: Extreme
The ground trembled.
A low hum filled the air.
Then—
A pillar of blue light shot down from the sky, striking the center of the city.
Everything went silent.
For a single second.
Then the shockwave hit.
BOOM.
Arjun was thrown backward, crashing into a parked vehicle.
The car flipped from the impact.
His combat suit absorbed most of the damage, but the force still rattled his body.
"…What the hell was that?!"
The system responded immediately.
[New Entity Detected]
Designation: Elite Unit
The dust slowly cleared.
At the center of the street—
Something stood there.
Humanoid.
Tall.
Nearly three meters in height.
Its body was covered in smooth black armor, glowing faintly with blue energy lines.
Unlike the previous monsters—
It wasn't mindless.
It was… calm.
It looked around.
Observing.
Analyzing.
Then its glowing eyes locked onto Arjun.
[Elite Unit A-E1 Identified]
Threat Level: Extreme
Arjun felt it instantly.
This thing was different.
Completely different.
"…So this is what 'extreme' means."
The Elite Unit took one step forward.
The ground cracked beneath its foot.
Not from weight—
From energy.
Arjun tightened his grip on the rifle.
"Alright… let's test it."
He activated Target Prediction.
Blue lines appeared.
But—
They were unstable.
Shifting.
Glitching.
"…What?"
The system responded.
[Prediction Failure]
Target movement exceeds calculation threshold
Arjun's expression hardened.
"So I can't predict it."
The Elite Unit moved.
Not fast.
Not slow.
Just—
Instant.
It vanished.
Arjun's instincts screamed.
He turned—
Too late.
A fist slammed into his chest.
BOOM.
The impact sent him flying across the street.
He crashed through a concrete wall and into the remains of a building.
Pain exploded through his body.
Even with the combat suit—
He felt it.
"…Damn…"
The Elite Unit stepped through the destroyed wall.
Unharmed.
Not even a scratch.
Arjun forced himself up.
"Okay… that's a problem."
The system spoke again.
[Emergency Recommendation]
Avoid direct confrontation
Arjun laughed slightly.
"Yeah… no kidding."
The Elite Unit raised its hand.
Blue energy gathered in its palm.
Arjun's eyes widened.
"Not good."
He rolled to the side just as a beam of energy fired.
The entire section of the building behind him disintegrated instantly.
Not destroyed.
Erased.
Arjun stared.
"…It erased it."
The drone spoke urgently.
[Energy Level Exceeds Current Equipment Capability]
Arjun clenched his teeth.
"So I can't outgun it."
The Elite Unit moved again.
This time slower.
Walking toward him.
Like a predator that knew its prey couldn't escape.
Arjun's mind raced.
"Think… think…"
Then the system flashed.
[New Option Unlocked]
A new interface appeared.
Commander Ability: Tactical Retreat
Effect: Temporary speed boost + stealth signal suppression
Duration: 10 seconds
Cooldown: High
Arjun exhaled.
"…So I run."
The Elite Unit raised its hand again.
Arjun didn't hesitate.
He activated the ability.
Instantly—
His body moved faster.
Much faster.
He dashed out of the building and into the street.
The drone followed closely.
Behind him—
Another energy blast erased the building completely.
Arjun didn't look back.
"System, what is that thing?!"
The answer came immediately.
[Elite Units are advanced combat entities deployed during Phase Shift.]
Arjun's eyes narrowed as he ran.
"So this is only the next phase…"
The system continued.
[Warning]
Multiple Elite Units detected across city sectors.
Arjun slowed slightly.
"…Multiple?"
The holographic map appeared again.
This time—
Several large red markers blinked across the city.
Each one labeled:
ELITE
Arjun let out a slow breath.
"…So killing normal monsters doesn't matter anymore."
The system responded.
[Correction]
Eliminating Elite Units significantly increases Civilization Rank progression.
Arjun stopped running.
Behind him, the Elite Unit stepped out into the open street again.
Watching him.
Waiting.
Arjun turned slowly.
His grip tightened on the plasma rifle.
"…So I have to kill it eventually."
The system remained silent.
The drone hovered beside him.
[Survival probability if engaged now: 8%]
Arjun smiled slightly.
"Yeah… not today."
He stepped back.
Eyes locked on the Elite Unit.
"…But soon."
Above the city, more blue pillars of light began descending.
More Elite Units were arriving.
And for the first time—
Arjun realized something clearly.
The invasion wasn't random.
It was structured.
Controlled.
A system.
He raised his rifle slightly.
"…Then I'll break your system."
The Elite Unit tilted its head.
As if it understood.
And then—
It took another step forward.